Into the Lion’s Den

Ava’s pulse roared in her ears as she stared at the photograph.

Senator Richard Calloway.

She had spent years trying to prove he was dirty, only to be shut down at every turn. Now, here he was, standing shoulder to shoulder with Raymond Holloway, a man who didn’t just break laws—he rewrote them in blood.

Damian’s jaw tightened. “You recognize him.”

Ava forced herself to breathe. “I used to work for him.”

Leo’s brows lifted, but Damian’s stare sharpened. “Explain.”

Ava’s mind raced. “Before I became an independent journalist, I worked under Calloway. He was a supposed ally, always feeding me leads about corporate fraud, shady financial dealings—but never anything that tied back to him. I thought he was helping me expose corruption.” Her voice dipped lower. “But every time I got too close to something bigger, my stories got buried. Editors pulled them. Sources went missing. It wasn’t coincidence.”

Damian’s expression darkened. “And you still kept digging?”

She let out a humorless laugh. “Of course I did. And then my career mysteriously imploded overnight. No one would touch my work. I was blacklisted from every major publication.”

Leo let out a low whistle. “Sounds like Calloway cut you loose the second you became a liability.”

Ava clenched her fists. “That bastard ruined my career.”

Damian leaned back against his desk, expression unreadable. “And now you have proof he’s in bed with Holloway.”

Ava exhaled sharply. “Yeah. But this isn’t just about business deals or smuggling. Calloway’s aiming higher.”

Leo folded his arms. “How high?”

Ava met his gaze. “The presidency.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Even Damian, who rarely looked rattled, seemed to process the weight of her words.

“If Calloway wins the presidency with Holloway’s backing…” Ava hesitated. “They’d have a chokehold on the country. Corruption at the highest level. No one would be able to stop them.”

Damian’s eyes flickered with something dark. “Then we make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Leo scoffed. “Right. Because taking down a sitting senator and one of the most dangerous men in the country is an easy job.”

Damian turned back to Ava. “How much do you want to burn Calloway?”

Ava’s blood turned to fire. “More than anything.”

A slow, calculating smile spread across Damian’s face. “Then we do this together.”

******

Later that night, Ava sat across from Damian in the back of a sleek black SUV, her nerves thrumming as they drove through the dimly lit streets of Las Vegas.

Leo was in the front seat, monitoring the comms.

“Are you sure this will work?” Ava asked, gripping the tablet in her hands. On the screen was a falsified money transfer—an illusion Damian’s team had created, making it look like she was wiring funds to a Holloway-controlled offshore account.

Damian’s voice was smooth. “If Calloway is as greedy as I think he is, he’ll take the bait.”

Ava knew this was dangerous. If Calloway suspected a trap, he wouldn’t hesitate to erase her from existence.

“Stay close to me,” Damian murmured, as if sensing her thoughts.

Ava turned to him. “What are you getting out of this?”

Damian’s lips curved. “Let’s just say I don’t like men who think they’re untouchable.”

The SUV pulled to a stop outside an upscale rooftop bar, a known meeting place for Vegas’ elite.

Leo turned. “We’re live. If anything goes south, say the code word: Eclipse.”

Ava nodded, sliding out of the car. Damian followed, his presence an anchor beside her.

Inside, the atmosphere was electric—dim lighting, expensive liquor, whispers of illegal deals masked by laughter and jazz music.

Calloway was already waiting in a private booth.

His silver hair was slicked back, his sharp features composed. He barely looked up as Ava slid into the seat across from him.

“So,” he drawled, swirling his whiskey. “You wanted to talk business?”

Ava forced a smirk. “I want in.”

Calloway finally met her gaze, eyes sharp with amusement. “You’ve been a thorn in my side for years. And now you want to work with me?”

Ava slid the tablet across the table. “That’s a live transfer to a Holloway account. A taste of what I can bring to the table.”

Calloway glanced at the screen, then at her. “Where did you get this kind of money?”

Ava leaned forward. “Let’s just say I’ve learned a thing or two about surviving in this city.”

For a moment, Calloway simply studied her. Then he let out a slow chuckle. “You’ve got nerve.”

She forced herself to hold his gaze. “I have more than that.”

Calloway’s fingers drummed against the table. “If you’re serious, you’ll have to prove yourself.”

Ava’s stomach tightened. “How?”

Calloway’s smirk was razor-sharp. “There’s someone who’s been asking too many questions. I need them handled.”

Ava’s heart pounded. “Who?”

Calloway slid a folded piece of paper across the table.

She unfolded it—only to feel her blood turn ice cold.

It was a photo of her.

Calloway’s smirk widened. “Welcome to the game, Ms. Knight.”

*****

Ava barely kept her composure as she left the booth. Her mind was reeling, her pulse erratic.

She was the target.

Calloway had played her.

Damian’s hand closed around her wrist, grounding her. “What happened?”

Ava swallowed hard. “He just ordered a hit on me.”

For a split second, something lethal flashed in Damian’s expression. Then his grip tightened. “Time to turn the tables.”

They moved swiftly through the crowd. Ava’s heart pounded as they exited through the back, stepping into the cool night air.

Leo was already waiting near the SUV, his phone in hand. “We’ve got a problem.”

Damian’s voice was like steel. “What?”

Leo turned the phone toward them, showing a live security feed.

Three black SUVs had just pulled up outside the bar.

Armed men were stepping out.

Coming for her.

Ava’s breath hitched. “We need to go. Now.”

Damian didn’t hesitate. He pulled her toward the car, shoving her inside just as Leo gunned the engine. The tires screeched against the pavement as they sped off.

Through the rear window, Ava saw the armed men flooding into the bar.

“They’re not going to stop,” she whispered.

Damian’s voice was low. “Then we make the first move.”

Ava turned to him. “What does that mean?”

His eyes were dark with promise. “It means Calloway just made the biggest mistake of his life.”